Testimonials

Read What Our Clients and Peers say about AgeWell Care Solutions

At Age Well Care Solutions we pride ourselves on caring for our clients as we would want our mothers and fathers cared for. We strive to satisfy the needs of our clients and accomodate the adult children we serve. As a testimony to our professionalism and skill, we wanted to share some of the positive feedback we’ve recieved from our clients and peers.

To Whom It May Concern,

This Thanksgiving, I had much to be thankful for. My-55 year-old sister was celebrating the holiday at our mother’s house, the first time she’d been there in four years. The last time, it had taken three police cars to haul her away.

Two years ago on Thanksgiving, we’d found her lying in her own urine on her living room floor, too weak to lift her head to drink what Mom and I offered to her. Unnerved paramedics told us that in another day or two she would have died.

One Thanksgiving ago, I watched my incoherent sister screaming and flailing in a nursing home bed, wondering if I should pray for her to die, to be put out of her misery.

So much can change in a year.

The difference? Effective care management from AgeWell, which enabled us to obtain conservatorship and manage Laura’s medication.

For decades, my sister has lived as a professional invalid, suffering from a complex interplay of psychiatric and medical diagnoses with a medical record that stacks as tall as she is. Once she had been a star Ivy League athlete—vigorous, beautiful, as witty as they come. Mental illness stole her adult life. For the last two decades, her life consisted of lying in bed, writhing in pain on heating pads, medicating herself with an unholy combination of prescription drugs, OTCs, homeopathics, and herbal remedies. Her social life consisted of talking to receptionists at doctor’s appointments. Her only other contacts were immediate family, whom she frequently forbade to visit. By 2015, she had deteriorated so dramatically that family members and doctors who hadn’t seen her in a couple of years did not recognize her at all.

For the last decade, my sister would wind up in the emergency room several times a year, often on a psychiatric 5150. Clearly, she was a grave danger to herself and needed to be conserved. However, by the time her hearing before the judge would occur, she would be sufficiently “detoxed” by the hospital stay to marshal her thoughts and present a cogent case, so the judge would deny the need for conservatorship. Then the hospital would discharge her, just for the cycle to repeat time and again. Local police knew her all too well.

AgeWell was the critical third- party difference. Kevin McAninch knew how to document a compelling court case so that THIS time, we won. Moreover, he convinced my mother how important it was to gain conservatorship and helped us see how we the family were enabling my sister and falling prey to her manipulative, drug-seeking behaviors.

By the time Kevin encountered my sister in October 2015, she had been blacklisted by numerous doctors (including all of Sharp Health Care) and most nursing homes in San Diego County. For 15 years, she’d been playing off different doctors against each other, keeping her medical records secret.

Kevin put a quick stop to that. He found doctors willing to see her (who would not have, had she not been under care management). He attends appointments with her, to advocate for her and prevent her from hoodwinking new doctors.

Kevin has leveraged his good relationships with assisted living facilities to get her accepted, despite her young age (54) and psychiatric diagnosis. She now resides at an assisted living community near my mother, where she quickly made a good friend.

Back in January 2016, she had been incapable of completing mental capacity testing and scored poorly on the tests she did attempt. By Thanksgiving Day 2016, she was logically and effectively troubleshooting a broken thermostat at Mom’s house.

AgeWell has given me my sister back.

She’s still mentally and physically ill. She’s still exhausting to be around. But she can walk again (with a walker), and can think a straight line again. She can talk about topics besides her own health—something she hadn’t done for six years. It is now possible to have FUN with her. And—though she may deny it—she is now having enjoyment in her days. All this is thanks to Kevin’s tenacity in spite of my sister’s verbal abuse of him.

I can’t express what a load Kevin has taken off my family’s shoulders. It’s like I suddenly gained a caring and knowledgeable brother.

THANK YOU AGEWELL,

Sincerely,

D.D

Sister of AgeWell Client

To Whom It May Concern,

Kevin, words can’t express my thanks for your assistance in helping my great aunt Marilyn find comfort and peace in her final seven months. When Marilyn started showing signs of needing support, I just wasn’t sure what to do – she’s in San Diego, I’m in Indiana. I hired your group after interviewing several similar service providers, and I’m so glad I did. Her situation was such a challenge – significant medical and psychological needs, a disastrous home environment, and Marilyn fighting you and your excellent staff (and me) at almost every turn. Marilyn’s case goes to show what great leadership and competent, caring staff can do. You showed great flexibility in your approach to managing her fickle moods, and creativity in staffing arrangements to best suit not only her direct needs but also her desires. There were many aspects of this situation that I appreciated, first and foremost your direct, open, and regular communication about her case. I was so glad to be able to fact-check what Marilyn was telling me against the reality of the boots-on-the-ground experience. You made it possible for me to know that in fact, everything that could be done for her was done for her. Thank you for this wonderful service. I’m so glad to have found you. Please express my profound thanks to your staff for everything they did and how they hung in there with Marilyn and me.

Sincerely,

Ella Ingram Ph.D

Adult Niece of AgeWell Client

To Whom It May Concern,

Support Services eligibility. Imagine the impossibility of my trying to deal with the problems myself, from hundreds of miles away, leading my own busy and complex life. Without Kevin’s work, my brother’s life would have to be completely different.

However, it’s in the area of human relations where Kevin particularly shines. My brother is an exceptionally difficult person, creating incessant conflicts with his caregivers, care managers, doctors, and relatives. A less-committed individual would have walked away after a few months, but Kevin has remained determined to solve problems and improve my brother’s standard of living and care. Though my brother hardly appreciates it, my father and I are tremendously grateful for Kevin’s expertise and compassionate care. We couldn’t possibly care for my brother without him.

Sincerely,

GC

Adult Brother of AgeWell Client

To Whom It May Concern,

I lived 800 miles away from my dad. His cognition declined rather rapidly, and he was not properly caring for himself or his home. He was a retired Navy Chief who was always very independent and bull headed, and that did not change with his cognitive decline.

I hired Kevin to help Dad, and he did an outstanding job in getting my father the help he needed in the home. He carefully screened in-home aides and dismissed them if they were not meeting his high standards. Kevin went to all medical appointments with Dad and was a great liaison between me and the care providers.

The Chief with dementia was not an easy case. Kevin quickly built a rapport with Dad, based on mutual respect. He struck the perfect balance between friend and firm, to make sure that Dad’s needs were met, even when Dad did not agree with the decisions that Kevin and I made.

Over five months, Dad put on some weight and was getting along great at home with the help of Kevin and in-home aides. His health then declined, and over the course of six months he was hospitalized four times. Again, Kevin did a great job as a liaison and advocate for Dad with the health care providers.

Kevin provided good, balanced advice for me to make decisions on care for Dad. Through hospice, death, and the funeral, he was with Dad and me. It’s hard to imagine what our lives would have been like without Kevin. He certainly helped me to minimize the number of trips to San Diego and alleviated a lot of worry.

What can a geriatric care manager do for you? Everything you would do, if you were there, had the time, and knew what you were doing. Kevin did just that, and I highly recommend him and his AgeWell associates to anyone in need of a geriatric care manager.

Brian Mueller

Boulder, CO

Son of AgeWell Client

To Whom It May Concern,

I was referred to Kevin by the resident nurse at a retirement facility where a family member was residing. The family member had recently been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia.

Kevin immediately recognized the need to get the family member’s finances and medical power of attorney in place before there was further decline in the family member’s mental status. By default the durable power of attorney responsibilities became mine. Kevin recommended an attorney who specializes in elder care to help us set up the durable power of attorney and the management of finances to best support the family member’s needs going forward.

Throughout the past eight months Kevin has been invaluable in managing my family member’s care, scheduling and attending doctor appointments, watching over medications, and the care provided by the memory care facility.

Because I live 2000 miles away I decided to move my family member close to me so that I could personally oversee the care going forward. Kevin was invaluable in getting this move together, and even knowing that he was losing a client still gave my family member all the attention and care the family member had previously been given.

Sincerely,

Minnette Terlep

To Whom It May Concern,

I have had the pleasure of working with Kevin McAninch for over 8 years in a professional capacity. Kevin is a true professional with, integrity and compassion for each of his clients. I say I have had the pleasure of working with Kevin because we at Comfort Keepers expect the best with those we hire and work closely with in our industry. Kevin was employed by Comfort Keepers as our Marketing Director and Client Care Liaison. Kevin maintained high level standards for our clients largely because he knows no other way.

Now working in his own business at AgeWell as a Geriatric Care Manager, he maintains that high level of care to his clients with integrity and complete knowledge of his industry to provide the best quality of care possible. He is truly looking out for the best interest of his clients and I have witnessed some clients completely turn around in terms of their health because of the excellent care Kevin provides to them.
I hope NAPGCM looks on Kevin favorably as NAPGCM would be proud to include him among their peers.

Sincerely,

Jennifer J. Ramos

President

Comfort Keepers- Coronado

To Whom It May Concern,

As mom entered her “golden years” I frequently accompanied her to doctors appointments, filled prescriptions (and her insulin syringes), took her grocery shopping, and saw to a myriad of other details necessary to keep her living as independently as possible in her own home. At the age of 87, she suffered a life-threatening event which landed her in the hospital for over a month, followed by two more months in rehab at a skilled nursing facility. Although she had made significant improvement, she was still frail as discharge from the nursing facility drew near and she was not expected to return to her previous level of function. It soon became apparent that she would require more assistance than our family could provide on a daily basis in order to remain in her own home.

I didn’t know quite where to begin… How was I to manage the mind-boggling details and decisions involved in meeting the medical, physical, and emotional needs of my mother, while holding down a full time job and attending to the often chaotic situations in my own life? I asked one of the administrators of the nursing facility how to go about finding someone to help me. At the time, I didn’t know there was such a thing as a “Geriatric Care Manager!” Thankfully, the administrator knew to put me in touch with Kevin McAninch.

Although I had been anxious at the thought of handing off a considerable amount of responsibility for overseeing my mother’s care to someone else, the fact is that it was both a necessity and a blessing to find that RIGHT someone in our time of need. Kevin has been that someone.

Kevin became an integral part of our family from the moment we engaged in his services. Witnessing his gentle and caring approach with mom, I could see that he would be doing exactly what I would be doing… if only I had the time and expertise. I can think of many times when I contacted him with an idea or concern, and he told me, “You know Roberta, I was just thinking about that…” And it was true, because there have been just as many times he has contacted me, and I had the same response! I have come to consider Kevin as an ally, a counselor, a partner, a friend, and even a brother in spirit. He must feel the same familial bond, as he fondly refers to my mother as “the Matriarch of AgeWell,” because she was his first client.

I have every confidence in Kevin’s expertise. Even more than his skills and experience, I value the passion with which he serves and his heart for his clients and their families. I appreciate his thorough assessments and strategic planning, which are always aimed at maintaining and enhancing the health and well-being of his clients, and I admire his firm advocacy in their behalf. Over the past seven years, Kevin has developed and nurtured this passion from a one-man operation into a staff of compassionate individuals who share the common goal: to provide outstanding care and support for older adults, enabling them to age well. For this I will be forever grateful!

Sincerely,

Roberta, Daughter of Rachael L (AgeWell’s First client 2009)

To Whom It May Concern,

AgeWell Care Solutions came into my life a year and a half ago and has been providing excellent care management services to my mother, Joyce, and our family.

My mother has Alzheimer’s disease, but our family is lucky. She had decided to stop driving and sell her car when her sight and sense of direction began to fail. She willingly left her longtime home in Virginia and moved in with my husband and me in San Diego when she could no longer manage by herself. She’s in robust health.

Unfortunately, my mother never was very adaptable, had no real hobbies or outside interests, and had suffered for years from untreated depression. The move to San Diego, while necessary for her physical wellbeing, set off a spiral of mood swings ranging from morose and weepy to hateful and abusive to charming, often in the course of the same day. Her behavior left me shell shocked and beset by fierce anxiety, making me unable to sleep, enjoy meals, or carry on normal conversations with friends and neighbors.

Fortunately, I learned about AgeWell Care Solutions. I arranged for owner Kevin McAninch to meet my mother, assess her condition, and help us work out care plans that would allow her to regain her independence and me my sanity. We scheduled an hour-long evaluation visit. Kevin arrived and met my mother, initially in her charming persona. As he talked with her, she began to devolve into the hateful, angry Joyce, and then the sobbing Joyce. After almost 3 hours he left, promising me results and next steps as soon as possible. The session was so stressful, he left without remembering to collect his assessment fee!

When we spoke a few days later, Kevin gave me his assessment: Alzheimer’s disease. To confirm, he arranged for a detailed evaluation by a neurological psychologist. With a firm diagnosis, we set about making plans. He arranged for me to tour well-regarded assisted living facilities that would allow as independent a lifestyle as possible and helped me select the most suitable one for my mother. Getting her moved in was complicated, with many details to manage, and Kevin was behind me the whole time, providing advice and moral support during the planning, and then AgeWell staff to help during and after the move.

From the beginning, my mother has been one of AgeWell’s most challenging clients, unwilling to work with all but a few of AgeWell’s excellent staff. A previous agency tried to fire her as a client, but AgeWell has gone the extra mile to recruit caregivers especially for her. The nursing, administrative, and caregiving staff are all well trained, personable, and endlessly patient.

AgeWell has been a Godsend and lifesaver for me and my family!

Paula

Daughter of AgeWell Care Solutions Client

To Whom It May Concern,

Kevin McAninch, Care Manager with AgeWell Care Management, has been of tremendous help to my father and me. My father has an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and I live in Oregon and am his only child. Kevin has stepped in to do all of the things that I would do for my father if I lived nearby, and he has done a great job of keeping me up to date.

Kevin coordinates my father’s medical care, manages his medications, and regularly checks on my father’s activities of daily living, with a focus on safety and keeping active. He located and supervises quality in-home caregivers, and he is ready to take the lead when it’s time for my father to move from his home to a care facility.

My father is not an easy person to work with, but Kevin has a wonderful way with him. He is respectful but firm, and he knows just when to use a touch of humor to lighten things up. My husband and I were recently out of the country for two weeks, and it was such a comfort to know that my father could call Kevin for help any time. I would not hesitate to recommend Kevin to other families in need of care management services.

Sincerely,

Cathy Fredrickson
Portland, Oregon

To Whom It May Concern,

As the Human Resources Director for San Diego’s largest in-home non-medical care providers, we are faced from time to time with challenges that put both family and providers at risk. Age Well (“Kevin”) virtually saved an elderly couples lives by stepping and evaluating medical, emotional, and physical issues which needed desperate attention beyond our scope of services. With his knowledge, skills, experience and consistent passion to do what is right for the elderly, the clients are both safe and healthy and our employees are no longer at risk of injury or endangerment. Sherry Smiley, SMILEY RESOURCES, formerly with Comfort Keepers.

Sincerely,
Sherry Smiley
Smiley Reosources

To Whom It May Concern,

Dear Kevin, thank you very much for all you have done for my mother and me! I live in Colorado, with my mother living in San Diego, and you have been a “lifesaver” for us both. You were recommended to me by a Home Health RN to assess our situation and recommend the appropriate level of care. You started providing care after my father had a heart attack in Oct. 2010 and needed at-home care 24/7. After he passed away in March, it was clear that my mother needed her own care, which she fought with considerable vigor. You eventually won her trust, and tirelessly interviewed to find a caregiver and agency that was appropriate for her challenging personality. Here are a few things you do, or have done for us:

1) For my mother: you are concerned for her as a whole person; you take the initiative to resolve problems between her and the caregiver; you sense if there is a medical or psychological problem and take her to the appropriate doctor; you assessed Mom’s home for safety issues and made appropriate changes; you make sure her meds are being correctly administered; and, you occasionally take her out for a meal, which she greatly appreciates.

2) For me: you got to know me and what I needed to have in place to be comfortable with Mom’s care; you are virtually always available via phone, text and email to give me updates and answer questions; you send me your evaluation of Mom’s situation via your monthly notes; you review hospital and agency charges and advocate for me if there is an issue; and, you have greatly relieved my stress level.

Even this list in incomplete, and it doesn’t begin to capture the great relationship you have developed with my Mom, with me, and with my husband, who has been caring for me during this whole adventure. You have our sincere gratitude for all you have done for us, and we will gladly act as a reference for your services.

Very sincerely yours,
Barbara W. SteinerAdult Child of a Age Well Client
Colorado Springs, Colorado